Present Past
by Kender Bard
Summary: Just a cute lil' story I'm writing for my own amusement. Cliches be darned, it's fun to write.
1. Chapter One

Present Past

A/N and Disclaimer: I used the people in my AIM CAMPAIGN game that I run with a few of my friends. It's Dungeons and Dragons with a touch of Dragonlance thrown in (thus, the kender). I own Ceria, but I do not own the other characters. Bristle belongs to TheUnbalancedOne, Sofia belongs to Ixi, Zaph belongs to Duo, Kaisui to Vamptai, Kelra'an to Striker, and Ka'Lore to FallenAngelHolly. Not that any of you know who they are, but these things must be said. I don't own DnD and I don't own Dragonlance. I really don't own a lot. Poor me, I should file for unemployment. Seeing as these are character ripped straight from our game I will say simply this:

Ceria – Kender, Female, Bard, Age 24  
Bristle – Kender, Male, Bard/Rogue, Age 22  
Sofia - ..A lot of things, but currently an Aasimar, Female, Psionic Telepath/Soulblade/Fatemaker, Age 22  
Zaph – Half-dragon (black) Aasimar, Male, Psionic Telepath/Chaotician, Age 24  
Kaisui – Sea Elf, Male, Sorcerer, Age 24  
Ka'Lore – Werewolf, Female, Druid/Horizon Walker, Age 36  
Kalra'an – Rakshasa, Male, Sorcerer/Ranger, Age 32

BEEP BEEP

Starting scan…

Scanning specimen…

… …

… Scan complete. Data collected. Welcome, Ceria Mageream, to the year 4301.

Ceria gasped in surprise, and then winced against the bright lights. Steam rolled around the ground at knee level, and a shiver wracked her body. She wasn't cold, there was no frost to denote coldness, but she felt terribly drafty. Once her eyes adjusted to the strange sun overhead, she began an immediate search of her surroundings. The thing she was rested in was very comfortable, at least. It was padded with something soft and pliable, but firm. After amusing herself with poking the substance, and wondering why she was in a glass coffin, she slowly stepped out of her cylinder container.

"Perhaps it is because I died again," she mused. "Maybe I went into trance and they thought I wouldn't wake up. I certainly must have missed a lot to get placed in a coffin, though why of glass? It's so expensive… And this isn't really underground, unless they put me in a tomb of some sort. How peculiar though. Maybe that's not the sun up there, but a long lasting light spell." She was overwhelmed with all the oddities in the room, as well as the sight of other glass coffins. These were not opened, however, and seemed to be misted on the inside to prevent her from looking in. It was just as well – Ceria already knew what the dead looked like, and while she wanted to know who her dead companions were, she didn't feel up to disturbing their rest. There were other things to preoccupy her.

There being so much, in fact, she was forced to continuously examine only her closest surroundings to limit her distractions. After emerging from her coffin she took a few moments to stare at the odd form of stone beneath her feet. It was slick and well polished, for it appeared shiny in the light spell, but an odd white color with little flecks of other colors dispersed throughout it. It was unlike any stone she had ever seen.

"If I were a stone collector, I would be most interested," she reflected, and quickly moved on to the next item of interest. Taking up an entire wall on its own was a creation of blinking lights. Ceria scratched her head, trying to make sense of this creature. It was caged behind some odd type of glass structure, so well that she could not see any way to get inside. She wondered how the creature was fed, pet, and taken care of. However, she deduced that it was asleep for it did nothing but remain in one spot and blink its lights. "It must be from some other plane of existence. One with lots of lights." Eventually growing bored watching it, Ceria examined more closely the glass coffins in the room.

While approaching the nearest one, finding more lights fixated on this and wondering where it all came from, a coffin that was next to her own began to blink rapidly and make odd noises. Entranced, Ceria stopped and watched.

"Starting scan…"

She was startled by the voice that had an odd ring to it and sounded as though it came from the walls. Was this some divine? "Hullo?" There was still silence, followed by a whirring noise and more blinking lights. Ceria frowned, confused, and began to get agitated. Was there someone here or not? And if there was, who was it? What was it?

A large section of the creature hide, reaching as high as the ceiling and touching the floor, suddenly lit up. Ceria whirled around, her attention once again diverted, and was amazed as pictures began appearing on the section of the creature.

"Hullo in there!" Ceria called through the glass cage. "Are you awake? What's your name? What's going on? I have so many questions to ask, but I think I shall settle for your name first." The creature didn't answer and the odd glyphs on its skin continued to flash in and out of existence. Ceria deduced that either the creature was extraordinarily dumb and did not understand her, sentient and was ignoring her, or extraordinarily intelligent and was ignoring her. Frowning, Ceria watched the strange symbols for a while, wondering what it could all mean, and then was amazed yet again the outline for a person, a kender from the shape, around her size and a touch smaller, appeared on the screen.

"Scanning specimen…"

Ceria grumbled. "If there's someone in here, kindly answer me. I'm confused, lost, and would like to have at least a clue of what's going on." No answer. Ceria was now sure that whoever was speaking was very rude indeed, and that she would not humor the other person by talking to it anymore. Instead, she watched between the outline of the kender and the flashing lights on the coffin. Odd looking words, scrolling too fast to read, flew over the hide of the creature and then the section of the hide went dark again.

"… Scan complete." There was a loud hissing noise and a few clicks as the coffin top slid off! Ceria was entranced, amazed, and watched. She blinked against the mist and fog that swirled again in the room, now assured that they came from the coffins.

"Data collected. Welcome, Bristle Tindershoot."

Bristle?

There was a familiar gasp, much like she had done when she had awakened. Ceria hurried over to the coffin and waved with her hand to clear the fog. Bristle had his eyes shut against the lights and was trying to get his bearings together again. Ceria was ecstatic. "Bristle!" Bristle opened his eyes quickly in surprise, winced, and blinked at Ceria.

"Ceria!" He scrambled out of his coffin and embraced her. She smiled and hugged back, happy for familiar company in such a bizarre and alien place. She held tighter and resolved not to let go. Bristle, however much he was glad to see his betrothed, was eager to see more of where he'd woken up at.

"Where are we?" he inquired, easing her grip off him so he could roam around the room. "What is all this?"

"I'm not sure," Ceria admitted, settling on holding hands and guiding him in a circle around the room. "I haven't been awake very long – I was in one of these glass coffins as well. Nothing here makes sense. There's a strange voice that won't talk to me, this sleeping, stupid beast with bright and lit up hide, and all these coffins. I was hoping you might be able to tell me…" Bristle had a hard time comprehending what she was talking about. He was still disoriented from what seemed like a very long and deep sleep. The sleep spell that was cast on them must have been very strong indeed. And now, he speculated, they've been put in some prison on another world.

Before the two could confer any more, however, the voice rang out again.

"Starting scan…"

Ceria made a vague motion upwards. "You see. There's this voice. It won't talk to me."

"Hullo somewhere," Bristle called out hesitantly. "What's your name?" Silence and whirring. Bristle frowned and Ceria made a small "hmph!" noise to punctuate her point.

"Scanning specimen…"

Ceria sighed. "Maybe it's an automaton or a zombie. It doesn't seem to say anything but those words." Bristle shrugged. He was having fun watching all the blinking lights.

"Scan complete. Data collected. Welcome, Sofia Windancer." Ceria and Bristle exchanged an excited look. Sofia!

They hurried to her containment and helped her as she sagged out. Sofia was still in a half-sleep as they helped her to stand and began chattering away in their excitement. Their words didn't even register in her mind. She felt strange, different. Curious.

While Bristle and Ceria were busy talking to Sofia, the voice started again on its familiar chant. "Starting scan… Scanning specimen… Scan complete. Data collected. Welcome, Zaph Brightrune." The kender rushed off to help Zaph, who appeared to be in an uncomfortable position with his wings covering him and his tail curled up around his legs. He too was in quite a stupor.

By now all the coffins in the room had been opened, and their occupants beginning to wake up, groggy but in tact. With a grin, the two kender tried their best to explain what they'd seen, but none of it made sense to any of them yet. A voice rang out from its omnipotent presence, this time much more human sounding, and certainly cheerier.

"Welcome, past-walkers. I hope your sleep was pleasant."

Everyone looked all around and at the ceilings for the source, and was baffled not to find it.

"Hullo," Ceria spoke first. "Are you going to talk back?"

"Indeed I shall."

This pleased her, and so she continued. "Are you going to show yourself?"

"In time. I'm still preparing things for you – food, clothing, a documentary to watch as explanation."

The group was famished, to their surprise. However the term 'documentary' was not one they recognized. The voice must have sensed their hesitation somehow. "Just stay there. Your other friends are waking up as well and you'll all be reunited soon. There's just a few things that need done beforehand."

"Are we prisoners?" Sofia inquired, perplexed. It felt like they were, for she could not see any exits.

The voice laughed. "Of course not."

Zaph strolled around the room leisurely. "This is most intriguing."

"Good! I am glad you approve. Now I shall join you shortly…" The voice cut off and left the room in silence. The two kender fidgeted, talked in low tones to each other on who the voice may be.

"Do you think it's a divine being?" Ceria mused. Bristle was skeptical, but had no time to reply. His answer was momentarily forgotten in the surprise and delight of seeing a part of the wall slide upwards and a young male human with a white lab coat walk into the room. The man looked to be of average age, perhaps in his late twenties, for a human. His hair was black, tussled and laying messily on his head – a trademark of the habit of running his fingers through his scalp. The effect was not unpleasant. It gave him a cute bishi look, only to be enhanced by the black wire rimmed spectacles that were beginning to slip down his nose.

"Hello!" the two kender chorused in unison. Bristle and Ceria had a playful race between themselves to see who could get to the man first, which Bristle won. With a grin, he stuck out his hand. "My name is Bristle Tindershoot."

The man smiled at him and obligingly shook the proffered hand. "Yes, I know. I read all your data files and so I know the basics about you, at least."

Ceria eyed the man curiously while extending her own hand. "Well, I don't know what a data scan is, but it must be a type of literature to read it. My name is Ceria Tindershoot." The man was confused, shook her hand, but stared at her oddly.

"That can't be right," he mumbled. "The computer said that your surname was Mageream."

Bristle and Ceria puffed up in pride. "We're newlyweds."

The man simply smiled. "Ah."

Sofia and Zaph remained quiet and watching. They were not so quick to make introductions to this strange man who, for all they knew, was holding them captive. The kender simply stared, waiting expectantly. The man stared back at them, confused again, until a thought visibly lit up his face. "Oh dear, I nearly forgot." Kneeling politely to be on eye level with them, the man introduced himself. "I am Doctor Tachiban."

"A doctor!" Ceria squealed happily. "I knew a doctor once, in the sea elf village before it was destroyed. That was a long, long time ago." Amused, Dr. Tachiban turned his attention to the quiet remaining two. They just stared.

"I can see that you two are not quite as social as your companions," he noted. "No need to worry. I'm not going to hurt you – I'm going to help you in fact. I'm sure that you have many questions to ask about whom I am and where you're at, as well as how you came to be here. However, food and a medical scan must come first."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell us a few things," Sofia replied stubbornly, crossing her arms and leering at this stranger who talked so quickly. The kender pouted. They were tired of this room.

"All will be revealed after the necessary steps have been taken," he assured her. Ceria tugged on the white lab coat sleeve.

"Doctor, sir," she piped up. "I don't think she has cause to trust you, and neither do we, though I do like doctors. You see, this is peculiarly like the time we were caught in the Fey Kingdom and they kept insisting we eat their food. It turns out the food was enchanted! Oh, but it _was _a lovely place…" She drifted off the conversation with a dreamy, happy look. Bristle giggled at the memory.

The doctor furrowed his brow. "I see. You fear being poisoned? Tricked? If it makes you feel better, I will eat first and prove that there is nothing wrong with the food. You are our honored guests, and it is our privilege to serve you."

This only enhanced the suspicions of the other two, but the kender were already out of the door by now. Dr. Tachiban hurried after them to keep up and, with a sigh, Zaph and Sofia followed.

The hallways had more of those odd light spells in the ceiling, and the floor here was covered in much worn down, albeit softer than stone, throw rugs. They were also extremely well fitting for the dimensions of the corridor, which was odd. Ceria thought the patterns of the furs were pretty indeed and stopped short to examine them. Bristle, who hadn't anticipated this, rammed into her from behind and the two toppled over in a giggling heap.

Dr. Tachiban caught up after his dash through the hallways, pushed his spectacles back up his nose, and tried to get his breath back. "Oh my. It's just like chasing my nephews around." Ceria and Bristle grinned at him in good nature, got up, and remained docile as they look in the sights of the floor, the wallpaper, and the stucco ceiling. Dr. Tachiban glanced back to see the other two following after him, and so gently ushered the kender down the hall and into a large white room.

Ceria sniffed the air. "Smells funny here." Bristle sniffed and agreed.

"That's what most hospital places smell like," the doctor explained. "It's the smell of sterility." The two kender just stared blankly at him, and so, with a sigh, directed them to take a seat. He escorted Zaph and Sofia to their own seats as well, and then walked off a moment to confer with a nurse. The two kender continued to giggle and bounce in their strange chairs.

At length, the doctor returned. "We'll be checking you all over for sickness, disease, or any major abnormalities that should be of concern. We'll take Bristle first." Bristle looked between the doctor and his friends a couple times before a reassuring nod from Ceria prompted him to jump out of his chair and walk over to the doctor.

"I don't know what's going on, but hopefully I'll see you all later," he chirped and waved. Ceria smiled and waved back, now a bit lonely to see him go. She looked around the room. There wasn't much to keep herself busy, but when in a pinch, she could always make do…


	2. Chapter Two

Elsewhere, Kaisui, Ka'Lore, and Kalra'an were being led to their own physicals. Kaisui peered at the female doctor who had come to retrieve them from that room they'd woken up in.. Ka'Lore was still whimpering softly from the confinement she had experienced.

"Doctor Tachiban is busy with your friends," the female explained. "He's administering the body physical. I will be applying the psychology test." She gave them a friendly smile in turn, undaunted that they were not smiling back. "My name is Doctor Sunumbra. Now, who will go first? I assure you this will be a painless, perhaps even enjoyable, process. Many of my patients profess an interest in finding out more about the recesses of their own minds."

"I don't want anyone screwing with my head," Kalra'an growled softly. He could sense her thoughts only dimly, something he found quite unusual. However, from what he could gather, she was incredibly interested in them and not hostile at all. He didn't trust her regardless.

Dr. Sunumbra made a soft clucking with her tongue. "Nobody is going to 'mess with your head'. We're simply going to ensure that you do not suffer from any major mental illness, and if you do, that we can treat it."

Kaisui laughed bitterly. The notion of it all was almost humorful, in a sort of cynical way. Ka'Lore remained quiet, thoughtful. Dr. Sunumbra went with the lesser of the evils and gently led the druid along.

"The both of you may take a seat while I am gone," she instructed, walking off. Kaisui obligingly sat down in a chair and folded his hands, deep in thought. Kalra'an paced actively across the floor.

"I don't like any of this," he muttered. Kaisui raised his brow and shrugged.

"Neither do I," he admitted. "However, I don't see what we can do. As far as we know, they'll drop the friendly façade and threaten to rip our friends to pieces if we don't do as they say."

"If they're even here," Kalra'an hissed. "How do we know what's truth from lie? They're strangers in a very strange world." Kaisui rose and went to inspect a bookshelf.

"Patience," the sea elf counseled. "We'll know more soon enough, quite likely. It's not like we have anywhere to be anyways."

Kalra'an lapsed into silent sulking, watching as Kaisui took a book with considerable interest and began flipping through it.

"_Liber a lingua_?"

Flexing his claws, Kalra'an growled, "…I'm not letting any girl get in MY head."

Kaisui blinked and shut the book he was holding. "Why would they have a book on the language of magic? And why is it so terribly botched?" Kalra'an glanced up and glared.

"You don't even care," he sulked.

Kaisui grinned and took his seat again. "I care. But grumbling isn't going to help." He drummed his slender fingers on the cover of the book thoughtfully. "We can plan, if you like. But I wouldn't know what for." Kalra'an sighed and dug his claws into the chair a bit. He wasn't worried about himself, but for Ka'Lore and the others. Were they okay? What was that lady doing to her in there?

* * *

Ka'Lore sat in a little chair on the opposite side of a desk from Dr. Sunumbra. On the desk were various pieces of paper, face down. She wasn't sure what she should expect. Dr. Sunumbra wrote something down on her own clipboard and then smiled pleasantly at the werewolf.

"We're going to do an inkblot test," Dr. Sunumbra explained. "I'll hold up a card and you tell me what you see. It's that simple." Ka'Lore shrugged and nodded and the doctor held up the first card. Ka'Lore narrowed her eyes and stared at the inkblot for a length of time, remaining silent. Eventually, the doctor grew perplexed. "What do you see, Ka'Lore?"

Ka'Lore glanced up from her meditations. "I see a bunch of ink spots on a paper. Maybe you should get a better quill." Dr. Sunumbra stared a Ka'Lore a few moments and slowly set the card down. She picked up the next and held it up.

"What do you see?"

Ka'Lore squinted at the picture, tilted her head and looked at it from various angles. "Ink spots?" Dr. Sunumbra sighed and set the card down. This was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

Bristle didn't know what to make of everything that was happening. While he didn't quite like the sharp smell of the place that stung his nose, or the bright white colors that were terribly dull and almost painful to look at in such excessiveness, he did like seeing all the new objects everywhere. The doctor took him by the wrist and gently led him out of one room or another that Bristle would sneak off to. Eventually he grew tired of this, for all the rooms were alike. At last, they reached their destination. The room was white, like all others, and filled with vaguely familiar charts on the walls. In the center was some shiny metal monstrosity.

"What's that?" Bristle said, pointing in at the room. He didn't specify any one object, but all the things that encompassed his line of sight. The doctor smiled, assumed he was pointing to the patient bed.

"You sit up on that and I'll be giving you a little test." Bristle was excited. He hurried over to the bed and scrambled up on to its surface, which was covered with more of that soft and strange material that lined their caskets earlier. He poked at it resolutely.

"What kind of test?" he inquired eagerly. The doctor took a clipboard from his desk and a pin and began writing things down.

"It's a test for your body," Dr. Tachiban explained. "Tests that will tell me if you're healthy or not." Bristle smiled knowingly.

"I'm fine, sir," he said with a wave of his hand. "No need to worry about me. I don't feel sick at all. To be honest, I don't get sick very easily." Dr. Tachiban nodded and finished his writing. He began grabbing a few of his work tools, which Bristle stared at with wide and open curiosity.

"Well, how to explain this?" Dr. Tachiban mused. "I have… Powerful magic that can tell me whether or not you're sick before you actually feel like you are." Bristle gaped in awe. "But in order for the magic to work, I have to administer these tests. So be good, and do exactly as I say, and I'll tell you what my magic tells me." Thoughtfully, he added. "I'll give you candy too."

That cinched the deal. Bristle beamed widely at Dr. Tachiban and sat very still and polite as he sometimes had to do. The doctor smiled back and put on his stethoscope. Bristle watched him carefully, but made no move to intervene.

"Now, don't be alarmed," the doctor crooned, picking up the edge of Bristle's vest. "I just need to put this on your chest so I can listen to your heartbeat." Bristle frowned at this, and so the doctor hesitated. "Is there a problem?"

"Why do you want to listen to my heartbeat?" Bristle asked cautiously. It was very peculiar behavior, even to him.

The doctor sighed gently. "If your heart is beating off pattern, it means something is wrong. I also will use this to hear your lungs, and make sure that they're not filled with anything bad." Bristle eyed him strangely but acquiesced. Dr. Tachiban slid the stethoscope under Bristle's shirt and places it where his heart should be. Bristle yelped in surprise and squirmed away.

"It's cold!" he cried out accusingly, rubbing vigorously where the metal had touched him to get some warmth back. The doctor shut his eyes and waited for patience to return before blowinghot breathon the metal. It usually worked with his children patience,and so he tried again. This time Bristle merely giggled and waited for something interesting to happen.

"Breathe in," Dr. Tachiban instructed. Bristle obliged. "Breathe out."

"Well that's a given," Bristle muttered after he exhaled. "If you don't breathe out, your head explodes." While Dr. Tachiban would normally have educated a younger patient of the physics behind his science,he thought it would be wise if Bristle kept on believing what he did.

Removing his stethoscope, the doctor took a few notes on his clipboard and then grabbed a tongue depressor. "Please open your mouth nice and wide and say 'ah'." Bristle, amused, opened his mouth as wide as he could. When the doctor pushed his tongue down with the depressor, he nearly gagged. Quickly, Dr. Tachiban removed the stick. "What's wrong?"

"There's no candy left on that stick," Bristle informed him with a pout. "It doesn't taste very good, and if you go around sucking on sticks you may get a splinter in your tongue." The poor doctor just sighed and took some notes.

"Now this next test may get a bit uncomfortable, but rest assured, no harm will come to you." Dr. Tachiban took Bristle's thin arm and wrapped it up in a blood pressure gauge. Slowly he increased the pressure.

Bristle wriggled in his seat. "It's a bit tight, doc." The doctor paid him no heed; it was meant to be tight, of course. "Doc? Hey doc, it's getting a bit tight there. You don't want to pop my arm off." The kender began to fidget and squirm; trying to slip his arm out of the gauge proved difficult. "Doc!"

It was lucky for the doctor that at this time the gauge needed to be removed and pulse taken. Dr. Tachiban was beginning to wonder if kender were dangerous when threatened. He removed the band quickly and held two fingers against the pulse in Bristle's wrist, counting the beats. He was amazed at how rapid the diminutive race's heart beat was at resting pace, and now the blood hammered in Bristle's veins. It couldn't be good for the race's longevity.

"How long do kender generally live?" the doctor inquired, removing his hand to take notes. Bristle gave a start.

"Why, are you going to kill me and stuff me in a jar?" he asked, peering suspiciously at the glass jar that held cottonballs. Dr. Tachiban gave Bristle a perplexed, amazed look.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

Bristle shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes I think these things up. Hmm… Well I suppose it depends on the kender. Take me for instance – I've never died before. Then look at Ceria. She's died several times, sometimes in a row." The doctor was speechless. He then frowned, displeased at the kender's fibs.

"She's out there waiting, perfectly healthy and alive," Dr. Tachiban muttered. "You mean to tell me she's died?" Bristle nodded somberly.

"Yeah, she's really got a big heart and wants to protect her friends, but she's terribly unlucky when it comes to combat," he admitted. "But a _true ressurection_ spell has her on her feet again in no time!"

The doctor was silent. This was some of the vital information that their specimens was hoped to contain, and it sounded as though they would impart it quite willingly. However, there were no video tape recorders on hand at the moment and so the doctor bid Bristle to tell him the story another time.

The doctor went through the rest of the check up without incident, other than some odd looks and strange questions. When he was done, he obligingly gave Bristle a lollipop from one of the jars and had him hop off the patient bed.

"Now what?" Bristle inquired. The doctor was leading him down the hall, not in the direction that his friends were. Dr. Tachiban smiled.

"Now we take a little trip to the psychologist, my friend."

Bristle blinked, shrugged. He was beginning to wonder about his companions, and his voice took on a petulant edge. "I want to go see Ceria. I should give her an idea of what she's in for. She's a little more exciteable than I am, you know." The doctor was grateful for the warning. "So what's a psycho-lo-gist do?"

Dr. Tachiban thought with a fond smile about Dr. Sunumbra. "They make sure you're all fine in the head. Mental doctors, you could say." Bristle grinned. He was eager to see what the doctor had to say about his thoughts.

"What do they do if you're mind is sick?" he asked, wondering uneasily about Sofia and Ceria. Dr. Tachiban frowned and gave a heavy sigh, but did not respond. He was thinking of other things. Bristle misinterpreted the sight, however, as some sort of ominous wordless answer. Without batting an eyelash, he spun around on his heel and darted back down the corridor the way they had just come. Dr. Tachiban stopped short andtwisted around to see the bouncing topknot round a corner. He rubbed his temples and began chasing after. It would be a _very_ long day.


	3. Chapter Three

It was a slow few hours until both of the groups were reunited in the uniform and stale room of furniture and white walls. The place used to serve as a mental institution but had been hastily reconstructed as a waiting chamber for the 'guests'. Ceria, happy to see her friends, embraced each one in turn before returning to her husband's side.

"It's good to see you all again," Sofia remarked, giving Kalra'an a warm embrace. He was a poor substitute for her husband, in Sofia's eyes, but he was familiar enough to elicit comfort from.

Kaisui still held his copy of _Liber a lingua_, his nose stuck fastidiously within the pages. Sofia, Zaph, and Kalra'an stuck in a close circle, reflecting on the tests they had all endured. None of them had taken it gracefully, save Zaph, who was almost as incessant with his questions than the kender. Kalra'an hated the physical so much that the doctor was forced to conclude a hasty end upon seeing the gleam of the light on sharp fangs. Sofia had given Dr. Sunumbra sarcastic answers that ended in only a headache for the both of them. Zaph, however, after his meeting with the psychologist, had been quiet and reserved for the remainder of the day – save to ask questions.

Ka'Lore was listening with a smile as the two kender spoke rapidly of their own experiences. She was highly amused by the tale, feeling no pity for these strangers who had kept her locked up and then subjected to these odd tests.

The kender had much to say, as well. Bristle led Dr. Tachiban on a merry chase down the halls until arriving back into the waiting room. There, Ceria had passed the boredom by slyly, when the assistants weren't looking, plucking one shiny, plastic leaf off the potted plant there at a time. They knew something was up once half the plant was nothing but sticks. Afterwards, Ceria had found that the magazines held colorful pictures that were as vivid as being there. She thought them to be magical and, by the time Bristle had returned to them, tried to put three in one of the smaller pouches – to no avail.

After a brief respite from any other people, the doors to their room swung open, and Dr. Tachiban, followed closely by Dr. Sunumbra, walked into the room pushing an odd box on wheels.

"What's that?" the two kender and Zaph chimed in unison. Dr. Sunumbra continued to tend to the box, pulling a length of rope out of it and putting it in a hole in the wall.

"This is called a television," Dr. Tachiban explained. "It allows you to see pictures from far away." Ceria thought longingly of the magazines she'd been forced to abandon. "All you have to do is sit down and pay close attention to what it has to say. After the explanatory CD concludes, Dr. Ichi Furickowill be along to clear up any unresolved matters and to further elaborate on the purpose of you all being here."

"That name sounds familiar," Bristle mused. "Ichi… Oh well, must have been an acquaintance." The group was herded to the plush chairs and couch clustered around the TV and asked if they wanted anything. Having already been fed, they declined, and waited eagerly for something to happen. They were amazed when the television flickered to life, and that awe did not stop, even after the course of the entire explanation. Their ears could scarcely believe what they heard and yet… It all had to be true, hadn't it? The man who was speaking was vaguely familiar as well, though they could not place from where…

"Greetings, pastwalkers. My name is Dr. Ichi Furicko. We call you pastwalkers because, despite what beliefs you may hold that you are simply on another plane of existence are false. This is the future – approximately twelve million years into the future to be exact. This is the world of Seler as it is now – a world entirely generated off the power of man and might instead of magic. Perhaps it would be better explained using the idea that Seler is now a world in which the inventions of gnome see light, and truly do work as they were meant to. Such a world holds good and evil in it, as did the past. However, at the time you are viewing this documentary, times of evil must truly be predominating. You see, shortly after the Mech Age, the time in which Seler's technology was flourishing and reaching a peak of perfection, our world encountered a source of indescribable power in space. It was no alien that we were aware of – for at that time Seler had established multiple connections with various galaxies and had become a well known interstellular planet – and so we tried to make peaceful communication with it. It attacked the emissaries without rhyme or reason, never giving voice to its actions. We thought this to be some dumb creature, and so set out to destroy it in the name of self defense. We were terribly wrong, for this was a being of intelligence that dwarfed our own. It would not communicate with us for stupidity, but for superiority. It was at this time that I began to notice a familiar sense to it. To my horrible dismay, I recognized the creature an entity of magical or divine, perhaps both, creation. Magic has long since disappeared from the face of Seler long ago, our means of using it erased permanently. However futile our technology was with frontal assault, however, it made up with cunning versatility. Using our resources available, we set to work on a time machine; a machine that would rival the powers of the high goddess of Time herself. If you are watching this, then we were successful. The machine was concealed as a clever trap of scenery and sent as far back in the past as conceivable, to a time when magic still coursed in the veins of all men. Once enough individuals, or a large enough group, were caught, we brought them back into the future. For you see, pastwalkers, the future needs you desperately. Where we have failed we hope that you may prevail and defeat this terrible monstrosity."

There was a thick silence in the air as the screen faded to black. Everyone was trying to digest the information that had assaulted their minds. Ka'Lore clung to her leather seat so tightly that the nails punctured the material, and Zaph was simply holding his head and seeking comfort in chaos to soothe the aches that trying to comprehend this morbid message resulted in. Dr. Tachiban cleared his throat.

"Well, I believe I shall go fetch DoctorFuricko then," he murmured, hasting out of the room. Dr. Sunumbra remained quiet and thoughtful, watching the group with professional and sympathetic interest. Everyone remained quiet until Kaisui spoke gently. "Amazing."

The silence was broken at the return of Dr. Tachiban and Dr.Furicko – the very same man from the video. Ceria and Bristle eyed Dr.Furicko with renewed interest and suspicion, for his presence nagged at something in the back of their minds.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions," Dr.Furicko began. "Feel free to ask away." Still silence. "Surely, I would think even the kender would be vocal on this."

"Where have I seen you before?" Bristle piped up suddenly. Dr.Furicko smiled broadly, walked over and knelt to be on eye level with the kender.

"My friends," he sighed wistfully. "It feels like only yesterday I was showing you around the waterfalls in the plane of Achaea. Perhaps it was, for all I know. Time is such a tangible thing… But I do wonder if you still have that blanket I left you." Ceria's eyes widened as she remembered the enchanted blanket left behind from their encounter with a friend not long ago. She grinned and wrapped her arms around the now familiar friend.

"Ichi!" she squealed. "What are you doing here, in the far, far, far, far, far-"

"The future is where I belong," the doctor interrupted amicably. "And the future needs my help – yours as well."

"What do we owe a future that shouldn't even concern us?" Sofia muttered icily. "I want to go home." Ka'Lore and Zaph vocalized their agreement in this. Kaisui continued to stare quietly at the cover of the book he'd gotten so attached to. Ichi rose and considered the question.

"I figured you would ask something along those lines," he said. "Look at it in this light. You would do all you could to preserve your child's future, would you not?" The females all tensed at the subject and the males nodded sagely. "Well, consider this future as the future of long generation children. Who knows – perhaps there is someone from your past whose child still lives in someone's blood." Zaph shut his eyes painfully against the statement, for it was just this that had been disturbing his thoughts. All were quiet again.

"What do we get out of it?" Kaisui remarked slowly, though he had an idea at what the answer would be.

"Well aside from the satisfaction that you would be helping your world a great deal, there's also the fact you get to see this future and remember it upon sending you back to the past, and the vast amount of knowledge we will offer you – which brings me to my next point, should you agree to help."

"I want to go home," Sofia remarked once again, calmly, steadily. "I want to see my husband and our daughter."

"I'm afraid that even if we wanted to send you back, we couldn't. It takes a month to recharge the time teleporter, and so you are stuck here regardless. Even the gods couldn't send you back, though I doubt they would." Ceria realized then that she hadn't been falling into any mental trances since their arrival and worried whether or not this statement was true.

Ichi felt the hostile emotions in the room rise a notch, and so went on to say, "I know this is all quite a bit to absorb. It must come as a huge shock, I understand. A good night's sleep to ponder things over should aide you in making any decisions. Shall I show you to your rooms?" The group, tired, upset, and dazed still, agreed with a collective murmur. The three doctors lead everyone to their quarters, securely locking the doors for their own safety, and left all to wonder about such large things in peace.

OBSERVATORY CAMERA#1 ACTIVATED…. SUBJECT: SOFIA WINDDANCER

Sofia was possibly the most distressed about everything that had happened. She and her friends were simply on a little travel together, all wishing to investigate a strange occurrence near her home. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered to contact the others, but Zaph was planning on visiting, as was Kalra'an. Kalra'an, of course, would have brought his kender companions, and would want to know how Ka'Lore was doing… All in all, she decided a reunion was due and invited her closest companions.

Her husband, Relan, had opted to stay home so they could watch their young daughter while the group did a harmless investigation of the site in question. She'd seen no harm in this. Apparently her gut instincts had been wrong, because here she was millions upon millions of years in the future with no known way back home and no contact to those she loved the most.

The bed they supplied was terribly comfy and soft, but she hated it anyways. Out of spite, she curled up on the carpeted floors and thought terribly sadly on the state of things. Depression's chill dark hands covered her brow, shadowing it, and nagging at her every thought. Eventually, her savior Sleep drove him off and Sofia was left to leave the contemplation of her family

Computer Analysis: Physical body – normal. Mental state – alarming. Diagnosis: Comprehensive treatment by Dr. Sunumbra.

OBSERVATORY CAMERA#2 ACTIVATED…. SUBJECT: KAISUI ENSUI

Kaisui, while the implications of the gravity of everything were weighing heavily on his mind, was enjoying immersing himself in the little piece of literature that resembled the now-past.

"They said that magic has disappeared completely," he mused, striking and correcting words with the quill he'd had with his belongings. "Yet it's right here under their noses. Albeit, it looks like some mentally challenged wizard apprentice copied these down, the foundations of the words are still here." With a smile, Kaisui held out his fingertips over the book. "_Lux lucis_." Nothing happened. With an almost matronly smile, Kaisui scratched out the word in the book and rewrote something. Again, he held out his fingertips. "_Luc luxis_." A small light emanated from the fingertips. He smiled and resumed the work of rewriting the language of magic.

Computer Analysis: Physical body – normal. Mental state – highly active. Diagnosis: Supply more reading material.

OBSERVATORY CAMERA#3 ACTIVATED…. SUBJECT: ZAPH BRIGHTRUNE

Zaph was recovering, slowly, from the shock of things. He was resilient in nature like that – chaoticians had to be. He'd looked into the gaping maw of eternity, faced creatures with no names for the name alone would send the mind to insanity, and came out unscathed. Therefore, the fact he was millions of years in the future shook him very little. What was so disturbing was seeing his beloved mentor here in the future in striking similarity. With a strikingly similar name.

He didn't know her first name, but as far as he was concerned, Dr. Sunumbra was a living incarnate of his dear to heart mentor, Dreamwarp. Perhaps this was her descendant? The doctor of the mind?

Zaph threw his head back and laughed himself into exhaustion over the idea. When at last he'd wiped the tears of his mirth from his eyes, he rewarded his conclusions by staring into the swirling void of chaos that blueprinted all things.

Computer Analysis: Physical body – normal. Mental state – ERROR. Diagnosis: A more in depth personal interview with Dr. Sunumbra.

OBSERVATORY CAMERA#4 ACTIVATED…. SUBJECT: KA'LORE

Ka'Lore paced the interior of the room. The placed was locked, and she hated that. The bed was pleasantly soft but she didn't enjoy it as much as sleeping under the stars. All in all, she was most upset with everything that had occurred today. Eventually, she ceased her pacing and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at a wall thoughtfully.

"A world with no magic," she thought. "But magic comes from the gods and the earth. Have the gods left us and the earth become pained?" She wished she could touch the ground, listen to the whispers of the world around her. Instead, she was cut off and isolated… She could have sworn she heard the earth calling for her, crying in pain.

Ka'Lore gave a sad howl of anguish for the earth, matching its cry.

Computer Analysis: Physical body – High activity. Mental state – Anguish. Diagnosis: Discover the phobia of cause.

OBSERVATORY CAMERA#5 ACTIVATED…. SUBJECT: KALRA'AN

Kalra'an was upset. He was fuming and livid, but that was his natural reaction to things gone so wrong as this. This was messed up – something not even the bards would sing of. Something even those idiotic, imaginative kender would concoct. He agreed with Sofia on this point – he wanted to go home. And now these people had the temerity to humiliate him, drag him here, and tell him he can't go home yet. And for what? To protect some planet he'll never get to enjoy? In a time unconceivable?

Kalra'an's fist met the wall as he continued his brooding silence.

Computer Analysis: Physical body – High activity. Mental state – Rage. Diagnosis: Anger management.

OBSERVATORY CAMERA#6 ACTIVATED…. SUBJECT: BRISTLE AND CERIA TINDERSHOOT

The kender couple, despite the levity of all things told, were highly enjoying themselves. First, both marveled at the idea of a bed with springs. Bristle related a tale his father told him of gnomes who had conceived of the idea with very uncomfortable results. It amazed him to see the theory at work. The two spent a solid ten minutes just jumping up and down on the springs, shrieking and giggling with delight until, tired out, they settled under the covers of the bed that was certainly far too large for even the two of them.

Sweeping the comforter around them into a snug ball, Ceria nestled against her husband's side. "Today has certainly been interesting."

"It sure has," he remarked, twirling a lock of her topknot between his fingertips. "I don't know when I've had so much fun! This future world rivals even some of the planes we've been to."

Ceria smiled, nuzzled Bristle's cheek fondly. "It rivals a lot. I can't sleep – my mind is abuzz with all the new sights and sounds. I wish the doors weren't locked, or I'd go look around a bit more. I do consider that much to be impolite, but I suppose the manners of people are lax in the future?"

Bristle's eyes darted to the odd moving metal-sheet door type that was so popular in the building and thought of his lock-picks. "I wish the doors weren't locked with something other than a key." Ceria nodded. "So this is the future… Hey, at least we got to see Ichi again!"

The two kender, wide awake, spent all night talking optimistically.

Computer Analysis: Physical body – Normal/Normal. Mental state – Normal/Normal. Diagnosis: They are the only sane ones.

LOG: Initiation of the pastwalkers complete. Next agenda – resocializing them to our society through EIL.

End log.


	4. Chapter Four

The next morning all the companions were herded into the large room that they'd learned the shocking revelation through the television. This time the furniture was re-arranged and breakfast steamed tantalizingly from the tabletops. Dr. Tachiban and Dr. Sunumbra stood unobtrusively from the doorway, watching.

Ceria and Bristle wasted no time to eyeball the doctors and instead grabbed two seats and some food and dug in. This in turn allowed the rest of the group to follow suit, and soon all were engaged in sorting through their sleep veiled thoughts and eating. Dr. Sunumbra glanced at Dr. Tachiban, giving an imperceptible nod, and readying her clipboard. Dr. Tachiban approached the group, wary after the observational camera report, and tried to keep his voice friendly and conversational.

"I am given to believe that each of you specify in some form of, ah…" The doctor frowned, trying to grope for some foreign word to describe his thoughts. "Order? Class? Guild?" Zaph perked up at the mentioning of guilds but the rest remained inert. "Profession?" Now he had all their attentions. "I'd be delighted if you would share with me what that is."

Kaisui, eating eggs with one hand and flipping through his revised book with the other, didn't glance up as he muttered, "Sorcerer." Dr. Tachiban glanced at Dr. Sunumbra, who wrote this down and muttered the word 'arcana and technology disk'. One by one, they each named their specialty, though hesitantly. Once done writing, Dr. Sunumbra made check marks on her sheet while listing items off to Dr. Tachiban.

"I'll let Dr. Furicko know that we need two disks of technology in relation to arcane, two nature and wildlife,two of ESP and other paranormal abilities, one on stealth and spies, and two on artistic musical progression." She grinned at her colleague. "The EIL is going to be busy today."

"What's an EIL?" Ceria asked with a mouthful of toast. Dr. Sunumbra left to report the day's order while Dr. Tachiban replied, with a simple smile, that all would see soon.

After breakfast had finished the group was escorted down the long corridors, past two metallic double doors, and into a large room that practically hummed with energy and electricity. Ten chairs were arranged in a circle in the room, odd contraptions connected to them all. Ichi looked up from his sorting of the EIL disks and flashed everyone a smile.

"Welcome to the EIL!" he announced with obvious pride. "Here, you'll be learning over the course of a few days, the progression of millions of years in the professions and knowledge specifically chosen for each of you." They all looked at him with a mix of puzzlement and apprehension. "Allow me to explain. Science has shown us that to learn the brainforges an neural pathway in the brain to allow for recall later on in time. If that specific bit of knowledge is called on enough times, then the link becomes stronger and stronger. However, if this information is not called upon, then the links fall into disuse and weakens to the point of nonexistence." He knew, from their expressions, that he was loosing both their interest and their ability to comprehend what he was saying. Quickly, he moved on. "Through that same power of science, I have constructed the method using this machine called Electronic Impulse Learning. Light and energy honed to a laser beam and watched rapidly over and over in the same sequence of flashes can have the same impact as reading a book."

"You've lost me," Ka'Lore admitted. The others looked just as clueless as she on the matter. Ichi gave a defeated sigh.

"I'm going to point a light at you and you will magically learn knowledge without having to do the work," he muttered. This being easier to understand, they all became curious again.

"But that's rather cheating, isn't it?" Zaph mused. "I can't imagine there not being a repercussion." Always eager to discuss his inventions, Ichi happily supplied the answer.

"Oh there is," he assured Zaph. "The mind can only handle a specific amount of this kind of learning a day, lest it reject it all in a self defense stratagem. We can cover a set span of information before stopping. Also, the information is quickly lost if recital is not implied. That's why directly afterwards, it's encouraged that the techniques newly learned be put to test somehow." Ichi beamed at them all. "So. Who's first?"

"Me!" squeaked Ceria excitedly. "What do I do?" Ichi gently took her hand, leading her from her companions, and helped her to hop into the large sized leather chair. With delicate movements, he applied the straps that would hold her in place. She quailed at this, in between laughter, and tried to squirm free.

"What are you doing to her?" Bristle inquired defensively, taking a bold step forward. Ichi held up a hand for patience.

"It's imperative that she sit still for the duration of the EIL transmission," he explained. "I will not strap in the others, but I'm not so trusting of the kenders' ability to hold still long enough. Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen."

"What am I going to learn?" Ceria inquired eagerly, wriggling still but beginning to calm. Ichi lowered a cone shaped mechanism, the dual tips pointed at Ceria's eyes.

"You are a bard, a singer I take it," he mused. "Therefore, you are going to learn the history of song." With a flick of his fingers, Ichi flipped the switch and the hum of power in the room increased. A beam of red light shot into Ceria's eyes, blinking too quickly to notice as anything more than a solid beam.

Everyone watched, anxious and apprehensive. The laser abruptly shut off, the mechanical arm retreating and the metallic straps that held Ceria still releasing her. Blinking rapidly, Ceria rubbed her eyes and absorbed all she had just learned.

"What do you think?" Ichi asked, anxious as much as her friends had been. Ceria leaned back in the chair with a very thoughtful look.

"I don't much care for the opera, but the chorals are certainly pretty, and the early folklore is very interesting," she mused. Ichi gave a shout of joy at his success – he hadn't told the group, of course, but the EIL had only been tested twice prior, and he wasn't sure what the effect would be on the pastwalkers. Apparently, it was as every bit as triumphant as he'd hoped. Jubilant, he eased her out of the seat.

"You'll want to practice what you've learned now," he instructed. "Dr. Tachiban will lead you to a practice room so you can sing your new songs in peace." Smiling, Ceria brushed against Bristle and whispered assurance that she was well and he would betoo, and walked out with Dr. Tachiban, humming a church hymn under her breath. Ichi addressed the group once more. "She hasn't finished learning, of course. Over the next week, all of you will be returning to me and learning a bit more until you've reached present day information. Now, who's next?"

By the end of the day, Bristle was applying finely honed spy tactics to sneak up on people and startle them, Sofia and Zaph were amusing themselves with discussion on the aspects of telekinesis, Kaisui was tinkering with a small radio using his arcane powers to toy with its abilities, and Kalra'an and Ka'Lore were outside in the laboratory's outdoor facilities naming which fauna and flora were poisonous, as well as species of animals they'd never known existed. Ichi and his two assistants watched over it all with a proud, happy look. Everything, thus far, was falling into place. They could only hope that fate smiled on them longer because after the resocialization process, these seven would prepare for a reconnaissance mission against the power so strong that it overwhelmed even Ichi's energy manipulating powers.

Sofia, in the middle of playing with floating balls, looked up in alarm as Dr. Sunumbra approached her. She regarded the female doctor coldly, and ignored her very presence. Dr. Sunumbra knew to approach cautiously, for a telepath could be deadly if angered.

"I'd like to talk to you a bit," Dr. Sunumbra said tentatively, sitting down slowly and smiling at Sofia. "I've noticed that you tend to seal yourself away from others when angry. Are you… Angry often, Sofia?" Sofia ignored her. "Depressed?" Again, Sofia ignored her, but an imperceptible twitch occurred at the corner of her eye. "Because if you are, there are ways of helping that-"

"I'm not crazy!" Sofia blurted, the balls she'd been so delicately juggling with her mind flying out in all directions. "I'm not crazy and I'm not evil!"

Dr. Sunumbra wondered at this outburst and pondered an incorrect diagnosis – perhaps Sofia was paranoid. Still smiling and keeping a gentle voice, Dr. Sunumbra pressed the matter further. "Nobody said you were, Sofia. I just asked if you were angry often."

"You would be too if you'd died twice," Sofia muttered, recollecting the scattered balls. "It messes with your mind." Dr. Sunumbra nodded sagely, in both awe and fear of this hostile being with her.

"What happens when you die?" Dr. Sunumbra asked nicely, deciding to humor Sofia. Sofia's angry look faded and took on a weary, far away appearance.

"It's quiet," she murmured. "Everything is quiet. It's like getting a clean, warm bath after a long and dusty travel." The doctor was quiet, contemplating this. Sofia spoke up again. "To be a doctor of the mind is a broad subject. What do you specialize in?"

The doctor saw no harm in sharing a little personal information. With a sly smile, she replied, "I particularly like the aspect of the human mind in states of insanity." Sofia tilted her head back, laughed at the sheer irony of it all, and left the doctor to think quietly on the interview in silence.

Bristle utilized his newfound stealth with utmost glee. The room that Ceria was in, practicing a choral, wasn't locked but it was guarded as Dr. Tachiban sat in a chair, arms folded and watching her. Bristle smiled, finding the perfect opportunity to have a little fun. He crept in as silent as a shadow.

Meanwhile, Ceria was building her crescendo to the highest note, hoping she could hit it with perfection. Dr. Tachiban, who enjoyed this type of performance, sat on edge of his seat listening in unabashed admiration to her talent. He thought voices like these only existed on the database of songs, from eons long past. The gift had been lost.

Bristle scuttled away from under the chair that the doctor had been sitting on, his task there complete. Keeping to the shadows and making no sounds, he rounded the room and prepared to strike.

Ceria was not foreign to the language of magic, and, upon learning the chorals taught to her in the brief time in the EIL, she recognized this language called 'latin' to be very much like it. And so, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she readied to twist the words of the true choral into something a bit more fitting for a bard. "_Rico mefulgo expeto beatitas luc luxis_!" Bristle chose that moment to pounce, which is exactly when the flooding light spell that Ceria cast filled the room. Dr. Tachiban shut his eyes against the brilliance of the beam, and when his pupils finally adjusted, two kender were in a jumble on the ground, giggling.

"I got you," Bristle crowed victoriously. Ceria conscended her defeat and saved her voice, happy to cuddle. Dr. Tachiban frowned, got up to reprimand Bristle for interrupting the learning session, and fell flat on his face from tied shoelaces. The two kender fell into another fit of giggles.

"You two are unruly little urchins," he growled, trying to pull apart the crazy knot that had been used. "How old are you both? Honestly!"

"I'm twenty four," Ceria announced gleefully. Bristle chirped his age, and eyed the doctor when he lay there, staring open mouthed.

"Why don't you act your age?" he sputtered. "You're grown adults. Be more mature!" The two kender recoiled at the thought.

"You mean act like a human," Ceria corrected. "No thank you. Humans are a nervous wreck with legs. My only worry concerns my family. Everything else will come as is, and I'll take it with a grain of salt." The doctor couldn't help but feel a little surprised and awed by such a reverent upholding of simpleness.

He merely shook his head, amazed. "I question that laboratory reading. These two are far from sane." Leaving the two kender to giggle and play, the doctor left hastily to update this grievous computer error.


End file.
